Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Monday, September 29, 2008

Alert

ALERT!

On the Vought website, the “Working During The Strike” pages give WRONG information about union membership. Don’t make a BIG mistake.

Vought says that you can be an IAM member and still cross an IAM picket line and not be subject to Union fines and discipline. The company says that by becoming a “financial core” member, you can retain IAM membership but only owe dues and fees with no other responsibility. The company is WRONG. There is no two-tier IAM membership.

Here is the real story. Many other states allow unions to collect dues or fees from everyone covered by a CBA, whether they belong to the union or not. Members pay union dues, and non-members pay what is called an agency fee. Courts sometimes call this second group “financial core members” to highlight the fact that their only obligation or responsibility is to pay that fee. But don’t be confused by the wording. The law is absolutely clear that such fee payers do not belong to the union and are not union members. In saying otherwise, Vought is flatly WRONG.

Even worse, the concept of “financial core” membership does not even apply in Tennessee, where unions are only allowed to collect from members. If an employee does not want to belong to the union, he or she can freeload on the backs of union members and collect the benefits of having a CBA for nothing. They owe no “financial core,” so there is no such thing as being a “financial core” member in this state. Vought is either ignorant of the law or trying to mislead you. Either way, Vought is WRONG.

Strike Update 9/29

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Press Statement

Tennessee Machinists on Strike Over Pensions

September 27, 2008 - Nearly 1,000 Machinists began a strike at Vought Aircraft Industries in Nashville, TN, after voting by a large margin to reject an offer from the company that would have frozen the existing pension plan for employees with less than 16 years seniority and replace it with a risky 401(k) plan.

IAM members of Local 735 in Nashville, TN, assemble wing and tail structures for commercial and military aircraft customers, including Airbus, Gulfstream, Cessna and Lockheed Martin.

Additional demands in the proposal that triggered the strike included minimal wage increases, increased out-of-pocket health care costs for employees and work rules that ignored basic seniority principles.

Like Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita, KS, where Machinists union members recently concluded a successful strike, Vought is a highly successful aerospace company, with numerous contracts to fill and additional work on the way.

Despite Tennessee's status as a right-to-work (for less) state, the bargaining unit at Vought is keenly aware of the value of full membership, with more than 90 percent taking full advantage of their collective bargaining rights.

Additional information about the strike is available at www.iam735.blogspot.com

News coverage

Here's the NewsChannel 5 Coverage from last night:

You can find WZTV Channel 17's video here.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

STRIKE!

Yep, it's a strike. Our membership spoke loud and clear - 77% to reject, 94% to strike.

The strike begins tonight at 12:01 A.M.

Watch the website and blog for updates and strike information.

From the incomparable Billy Bragg:

Friday, September 26, 2008

Who runs this Union? THE MEMBERS!

Vought's latest, entitled "Communication Meeting" is something else.

Vought just doesn't get it. Our Union is a DEMOCRACY, as we've already said. The "International Reps" don't give orders to the members, the members are PROUD AMERICANS, and the International Reps and local leadership works FOR them!

The strength of this Union is the MEMBERS. The shop floor RUNS this Union, and it's the Shop Floor that will WIN this strike. You have the POWER to control your destiny. You have the power of Solidarity, that is far more powerful than anything the company has.

If you don't build airplanes, Vought doesnt make money.

You have their attention! Be at the vote tomorrow, we'll answer ALL questions, and you, the membership, holds your future in your hands.

FACT CHECK!

In their latest flyer on the Vought website, the company posted a comparison between Hawker Beechcraft and Vought.

Clarification - Vought Management doesn't get it - GVP Martinez, in his letter to the Local Lodge 735 membership, was talking about the ability for the Union to achieve their goals when they stick together. Hawker Beechcraft workers certainly DID believe the strike was worth it, they had improvements on all their issues. You have already heard from their Negotiating Committee on this website.

Here's the bottom line: Hawker management demanded takeaways, just like Vought. When the strike was over and the dust had cleared, Hawker workers had a contract with absolutely NO TAKEAWAYS IN IT.

Something to think about.

Vought acts like they know so much about the inner workings of our Union, but they say "after the International led them on a 28-day strike?" (bolding theirs)

They don't understand this is a DEMOCRATIC UNION. The contract is negotiated by YOUR NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE - who YOU elected - with the ASSISTANCE of the District and International. The decision whether to recommend or reject the offer was made by the Committee alone - the District or International did NOT have a vote. They won't have a vote tomorrow, either. Neither will Maxie or Mr. Tharp.

Vought is NOT a democracy, and they don't know how to deal with a democracy.

Why were we offered the contract to freeze a pension for those with less than 16 years seniority? We were told across the table by Maxie that they were demanding to freeze the pension to "bring them in line with the rest of Vought".

Who are the REAL outsiders? Those who came here to assist us, or the ones who came here to order the local management to shove this 401(k) down your throat?


Vought's only REAL competitor is Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, KS. C'mon, Vought. Give us the comparison with Spirit's contract. Put up a side by side comparison, their wages, our wages. Their $60 month Pension, and the bonuses THEY have!

Let's compare apples to apples. Let's do a REAL "Fact Check", Vought.

For your enjoyment


Words from the Red-Headed Woodpecker!

Negotiator, Mike Lawrence

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Retiring on a 401(k)?

Will it be enough to Retire under Vought’s proposal for Current IAM Members with less than Sixteen Years of Experience and New Hires?

The value of a traditional guaranteed pension is well understood: they provide a secure, predictable retirement income that cannot be outlived. Employees know in advance of making the decision to retire.

However, Vought is proposing to end the traditional pension plan for its current workers with less than sixteen years of seniority and new hires with the proposed Vought’s Savings and Investment Plan (SIP).

Under Vought’s proposal, current workers with less than 16 years of seniority and new hires are kept out of the Vought traditional plan and instead are only eligible to participate in the SIP plan, severely limiting their chance to reach an adequate retirement benefit. In fact, the likelihood that he or she will reach an adequate retirement income with a three percent of salary contribution to the plan is approximately zero percent.

Given financial market uncertainty, varying contribution levels to the SIP, and investment return on defined contribution balances, the resulting savings can vary significantly, for instance:

  • If the typical 30 year old receives an employer contribution of around 6% of their salary during their working life then he or she will have about a 1% chance of reaching a sufficient retirement benefit.

  • With a 10% contribution, the likelihood that he or she would have enough to retire is about 32%.

  • In order to almost guarantee sufficient savings for retirement, annual contribution of 25% or more is required.

Therefore, as we can see with the recent downturns in the financial markets and other uncertainties your savings may suffer and not provide sufficient retirement income.

However, the SIP plan is important to the retirement security equation if it is a supplement to the current pension plan, but it is not designed to stand on its own. So be careful of the proposal that Vought is putting out to eliminate the pension plan and replacing it with a savings plan for members with less than 16 years of service and new hires.

Thanks, Fact Checker!

Well, Vought "fact-checked" our flyer we put out today, and we sure appreciate it!

Yep, we messed up. We pointed out the BIG takeaway on prescription drugs from new retirees, the FACT that the company has capped the prescription benefit at $425 a month, not a year.

That was a mistake we made in our haste, and we admit it.

The prescription benefit was uncapped until now, and we all know with the cost of prescription drugs these days, and the fact that retirees often need expensive drugs, it's a HUGE takeaway, that could affect a retiree's ability to live on their fixed income.

I wonder what they are going to say to a retiree that has multiple drugs that could easily come to over $1,000 a month?

Tough luck?

They pointed out on the "Fact Checker" that the Temporary Transfer Language, where they can put you ANYWHERE in the plant for ninety days, regardless of seniority, they say "For explained production reasons only".

That means for whatever reason they want to explain. The worker has NO PROTECTION in the contract. It's all up to the company.

We just wonder, when will the Fact Checker check THEMSELVES???

From Your Negotiating Committee

The company dropped their Last, Best and Final on us this morning and immediately went to the shop floor with it. Understand it takes some time for us to put a full explanation together, while the company had all day yesterday to put as much perfume on it as they could. We are working on a full explanation, but here’s the main lowlights:

Ratification Bonus: $3,000 sounds great, but about a third of it will go to taxes! We asked for REAL raises, that pays off year after year, and would move your top pay up. The company’s raises are far below the industry standard.

Pension: the pension should be for EVERYONE. A 401(k) means that you have to take a lot of money out of your pocket to hopefully have a decent retirement. A pension costs NOTHING out of pocket. It is a classic divide and conquer strategy. Those with the frozen pension have it frozen at $43. We must STAND TOGETHER, and not leave those with 16 years or less behind. If we accept this, on the next contract it’s very likely they will demand to do away with the pension for EVERYONE.

Health Care: Increased premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. It eats up your raises. Both Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft’s IAM contracts FROZE premiums for the life of the contract, so their raises (Cessna: 5%, 4%, 4%, Hawker: 4%, 4%, 4%), were REAL raises. But, you’ll be paying for more insurance, plus the 16 yrs and under people will have to make 401(k) contributions, too. What happened to that bonus and raise???

Spouses Health Care: If your spouse works elsewhere and the employer pays more than 50% of health care, your spouse will have to purchase insurance there, too. This is not a rule from either provider, this is from Vought.

Retiree Prescription Drugs: $425 a month (edit, changed from year) cap for retirees.

Random Drug testing for everyone!

40 hour rule: You have to work 40 hours to get overtime pay.

Seniority: Temporary transfer language: At the company’s will for up to 90 days.

You have made too many sacrifices for this company to accept this contract. Your Negotiating Committee stands together unanimously in recommending REJECTION and STRIKE.

From the shop floor

This is a comment on our blog. We thought that EVERYONE should see this, and we're posting it on the front page of the blog.



MrLogical said...

From the perspective of the companies previous actions, one could conclude that it's a bluffing game that is being played in hopes of making the Union workers feel that somehow, we will accept the paltry contract that they have ready when it goes to vote this Saturday.

Need both sides be reminded of the past?

1. The fact that Dallas could NOT perform the specialty work that Nashville does.

2. The fact that the Gaining Ground program that gave management a lump sum, for a management mistake, that left the Union workers with the short end of the stick.

3. The fact, that thus far, the negotiations are nothing more on the companies behalf, to make the hourly people contemplate a strike, in hopes that they will accept a low ball offer that has no merit to the accomplishments of the Union workers.

4. The fact that management is playing nothing more than mind games in this whole negotiation, when it was stated that they wanted a to offer fair contract.

When the definition of fair equals dividing the pension plan between Union workers, it's nothing more than trying to divide and conquer techniques being used on every level, in order to weaken any contracts in the future.

We as the Vought Nashville Site, must also know that with the Cessna program coming in to our facility, have an impression to make to them (Cessna) and when the management team doesn't want to play fair with the Union, what message will that send to Cessna, if they see us on strike.

Clearly another poor decision is being made by the upper elitist in management at Nashville, that could effect any future business with other perspective programs that would be considered by Dallas' board of directors.

Stop playing management mind games and do what is going to benefit all of us in the years to come, or ruin any chances of having a promising future here, at the cost of having all the buildings torn down. Was that a subliminal message that was trying to be sent as a display that you could level a building and create fear? Will you be impressed when your salary is leveled from making bad judgement calls and you are gone from being hard headed and causing discontent, even in lower management?

Look beyond our Southern accents and stereotypes, oh Great Ones in the upper tiers and make a proper contract that will reward you with the work force having a higher moral, which will also profit the shop floor managers, that are your sacrificial lambs in the past.

In closing, this has been an indicator of the sloppy and shoddy work done on managements behalf once again. That has resulted in overtime refusal and productivity lost. IT IS TIME. Time to rethink your arrogant strategy.

Sincerely,

Some shop floor hillbilly

Lipstick on a Pig

The company gave us the proposal, and now they are trying to bargain with each and every one of you - doing a hard sell, telling you how WONDERFUL the contract is, and how you should vote for it.

Make no mistake - they are putting lipstick on a pig. This is the worst proposal in the industry. We are now crunching the numbers, and will have explanations out as soon as we can.

REJECTION!

At 10:00 AM, Vought negotiators presented your Committee with the Last, Best, and Final offer. Your Negotiating Committee has unanimously recommended a rejection of the contract and a vote to

STRIKE!

We will be posting and distributing more information through the day.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The news is, there's no news!

The company has told your Negotiating Committee they are working issues within the offer, and informed us a short while ago we would not be meeting today. Plans are for a meeting tomorrow morning.

The Corporate Sell Job

Great Video about the Employee Free Choice Act, but it also shows the management attitude towards the workers. They'll tell you giving up your pension for a 401(k) is a great deal, when it's not. Don't take the slick talk - they have an agenda, and it's not in you or your family's best interests.

Letter of Support from LL 839

To the Sisters and Brothers at Local Lodge 735;

I am Kathy Petersen, President of Local Lodge 839 in Wichita, KS at Spirit AeroSystems. I write to forward the support of the members of our Local Lodge. We have received information that Vought Aircraft is demanding to freeze the pensions for employees with less than 16 years of service, and we urge you to reject these demands in the strongest terms possible. Every contract we fight to keep and improve our pensions, and Machinists in the aerospace industry have NOT been giving up pensions, and we should not start now.

Like your facility, we are a subcontractor, and we are in the same market as you are. Good wages and benefits at our facility and dependent upon BOTH contracts are strong contracts with good wages and benefits. We can lift each other up, on successive contracts. Our companies may be competitors, but we are in the boat together; we are sisters and brothers.

We went through a painful time three years ago when the Commercial Aircraft portion of Wichita's Boeing facility. During the sale, our Local fought hard for our pensions, and while our Boeing pensions were frozen, our Solidarity won us the IAM Pension Plan for the future, at $60 per month per year of service. We had a five-year contract with a economic opener this year, where we couldn't strike. The company essentially gave us nothing, and this was a valuable lesson, one we hope you will take to heart.

Companies will GIVE you nothing. You get ONLY what you are strong enough to TAKE. We are gearing up for what we consider will be a likely strike in 2010, and our local WILL NOT roll over for corporate greed.

If they are trying to sell you a 401(k) for giving away your pension, IT IS A SCAM, one that you shouldn't accept. We are all the Fighting Machinists, and if you need to fight, we will be standing with you. Good luck to you all.

Kathy Petersen,
President,

Local Lodge 839

Wichita
, KS
.


Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Path to Retirement Security

We all know that when a company is trying to put the big sell on, they are doing it with THEIR best interests in mind, not yours. They will be trying to tell you how much BETTER their plan is for you.

But how about some experts that are on YOUR side, and will tell you the TRUTH about what kind of retirement plans are best for you?

Beth Almeida is the Executive Director of the National Institute on Retirement Security. Before joining NIRS, she served as assistant director for strategic resources and as senior economist with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) where she was instrumental in transitioning some 40,000 airline employees out of terminating or freezing pensions into the IAM’s multiemployer defined benefit pension plan. Earlier in her career, Ms. Almeida led research initiatives at academic centers in Germany, France, and her home state of
Massachusetts. She has authored numerous economic and pension publications and is a
frequent speaker at academic and industry conferences, both in the US and abroad. Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in international business from Lehigh University and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

She has authored a research brief on retirement plans for workers.

From the NIRS blog:

Retirement Readiness: What Difference Does A Pension Make?

An adequate retirement income can be defined as one that enables an older household to take care of its own needs in retirement. Workers who retire without adequate sources of income may face a range of unattractive choices.

Continuing to work may be the first alternative, but if that is not an option due to bad health, lack of appropriate job opportunities or other factors, retirees may become dependent on family or even public assistance programs to meet financial needs.

Most Americans prefer to be able to meet their own needs after they stop working, so the question of how employees achieve retirement income adequacy is a pressing one, not just for individuals' well-being, but for public policy as well. It is probably not surprising that job-based retirement plans make a difference, but the particular importance of traditional pensions, so-called defined benefit (DB) pensions, in ensuring retirement readiness may be under-appreciated. DB pensions really do make a difference for working Americans in achieving an adequate standard of living in retirement as a reward for decades of hard work.

This brief reviews the evidence on the role DB pensions play in ensuring that older Americans have the resources they need to be self-sufficient in retirement. It examines recent trends in pension coverage and discusses the effect these trends have had on the state of retirement readiness among American workers. Finally, it points in the direction of areas worthy of exploration for policymakers seeking to address specific retirement security goals.

Download the full brief here (pdf).

Negotiations Update - 7 PM Tuesday

At 4 PM the company came back and gave us a new counter-proposal, and it’s still VERY ugly and nothing acceptable to our membership. Here’s the lowlights:

GWI:

2009: $0.50

2010: $0.50

2011: $0.50

Wow! A whole shiny QUARTER more!

That’s about equal to a 2.5 percent raise every year. When everyone else is getting 4% or 5% a year, this isn’t even CLOSE! LET YOUR MANAGER KNOW!

COLA: No change, still NO ROLL-IN.

AUTOMATIC PROGRESSION: raised the one-time raise – not to exceed the maximum – of $0.90. This won’t help any new hires. It shouldn’t take so long to get to the top – they obviously aren’t listening.

Ratification Bonus - $2,000

We need REAL raises, which pay off year after year. We don’t need a ratification bonus that will be gone by Christmas, leaving us with substandard pay, health care and pension.

Pension – Still the two-tier system, leaving everyone with 16 years or less behind. They bumped the multiplier some:

2009: $48

2010: $50

2011: $51

Be loud – tell your manager the two-tier pension that divides our membership WILL NOT GO – THIS IS A STRIKE ISSUE.

Today, each member of your Negotiating Committee spoke to Maxie and the Vought Committee. They spoke about our Seniority, the sacrifices we have made, and spoke strongly and from the heart about the company demand to divide us over pension rights. We need YOU to speak the same way to Vought management. Tell them NO!

HEALTH CARE – Premiums drop slightly - $22 a week for single, $45 for family. Premiums and out-of-pocket expenses still eat up the paltry raises offered.

TRANSFERS – Vought still demands to gut our Seniority rights.

OVERTIME – Vought still demands the forty-hour rule.

However, the company removed the demand for mandatory overtime – Make no mistake, YOUR voice has been heard, and YOU made the difference.

This shows how powerful your voice is, and how effective you can be on the shop floor.

We have a short time left, and we are LONG ways away from a good contract. We’ve sacrificed and sacrificed for this company, and it’s clear that they want MORE sacrifices, even in a time of great success for the company. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD EVEN LOUDER. We need to either bring a great contract home, or stand together to vote for STRIKE.

Your Committee made another counter-proposal to the company at 6:30 PM. We are now awaiting the company’s next counter-offer.

Stay tuned!

Letter of Support from LL 733/2328 (Hawker Beechcraft)

(click for large size)

We are the Negotiating Committee of Local Lodge 733 in Wichita, KS, and Local Lodge 2328 in Salina, KS. As you may know, we recently won a strike against Hawker Beechcraft, and we wish to give you our heartfelt support in securing a good contract at Vought Aircraft.

Your fight seems familiar to us. As Yogi Berra once said, “It’s déjà vu all over again”. Hawker Beechcraft demanded big takeaways in both economic and contract language areas from us, even though they were highly successful and profitable. When our Negotiating Committee told the company “no,” the company went to the shop floor and tried to sell the rotten contract to the members. We understand that Vought is following the very same script.

Of course, our membership stood strong against the tactics, and managers trying to push the members, our membership rejected the contract by 90%, and voted to strike by 89%. We learned we could stand together, and we put up a strong strike and walked the line for 28 days, and the company returned to the table and we got improvements in all our key areas, and we went back to work, our heads held high, a strong Union.

Our motto was “Strength to Strike” and we proved we had the strength, and we prevailed.

We are here to tell you that it can be done. Also, we had great assistance from our District Lodge, our brothers and sisters at LL 774 (Cessna), LL 839 (Spirit), LL 639 (Bombardier/Lear Jet), and LL 834 (Boeing), who of course are now on strike along with their brothers and sisters in Seattle and Portland.

We also were assisted by the International and the Southern Territory. Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge and Southern Territory Communications Representative Bob Wood were with us for the negotiations and strike. Their knowledge and expertise was crucial in our success. We understand they are now assisting your Committee, and you are in good hands with their assistance.

We know that a 401(k) is a good supplement, but pensions are far more important to aircraft workers and their families. We urge you not to divide your membership and to demand EVERYONE have the pension, and to bring your pension multiplier up to industry standards.

We understand your membership level is over 90%, and we are VERY impressed with the Solidarity that gives you that kind of membership in a right-to-work state. We know how hard it is, as we are under the same thing.

In closing, make no mistake, YOU HAVE THE POWER. Stand behind your Committee, don’t accept takeaways, and you will prevail. You have our full support. We had a battle cry during our strike, “One Day Longer.” We were willing to stay out one day longer than the company was willing to keep us out. It served us well, and if you are forced to strike, we will be with you ONE DAY LONGER!

In Solidarity,

Negotiating Committee
Local Lodge 733
Local Lodge 2328
District Lodge 70

Support from our Brothers and Sisters in Texas

District Lodge 776 has about 9,000 members in the state of Texas, and represents workers at the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth that builds the F-16, F-22 and F-35.

To our IAM Brothers and Sisters of Local Lodge 735 employed at Vought Aircraft,

I’m writing to encourage the IAM membership of LL 735 to stand firm and unyielding against Company demands that have adverse affects on you and your family.

I have learned that Vought Aircraft has proposed a freeze on the pension plan for employees with sixteen years or less of seniority and move that benefit to a 401(k). Just another Company takeaway from a well funded plan. Vought should know by now you cannot hoodwink the IAM membership.

District Lodge 776 wants to commend each an every Negotiating Committee Member for their unwavering efforts and stance against Company pressure and takeaways. District Lodge 776 is a Supporter and Defender of our IAM Brothers and Sisters of Local Lodge 735 in the quest of a better way of life for the IAM membership working at Vought.

We urge the IAM membership to remain United, Strong and Supportive of their IAM Negotiating Committee.

In Solidarity
Tim Smith, President/DBR
District Lodge 776 – IAM/AW

Here's the numbers

Yesterday’s company proposal was quite insulting to the members that have put in so many hours of hard work into making Vought Nashville a success.

Here’s the hard facts of their current proposal:

GWI’s:

2009 - $0.50

2010 - $0.25

2011 - $0.50

At a $20.4 average wage at Vought, that adds up to a raise of:

2009 – 2.5%

2010 – 1.2%

2011 – 2.5%

At the latest aerospace contracts, Cessna received a raise of 5%, 4%, and 4%. Hawker Beechcraft received a raise of 4%, 4% and 4%.

This offer is WAAAAY below industry standards.

COLA – no change in formula, and NO ROLL-IN of current COLA into the base rate.

Automatic Progression – No change. A ONE-TIME increase of $0.65, not to exceed the maximum of labor grade.

Shift Differential – No change.

Ratification Bonus - $1500.00

Pension – As you’ve heard, freezing pensions for all under 16 years. Increase multiplier from $43 to $48 for senior employees.

Health Care – New plans, but costs continue to rise - $108.34 dollars a month for single, or $25 a week, and $216.67 a month, or $50 a week for family. Also, the copay and other out-of-pocket expenses are too high. If you are only giving a fifty cent raise, the increased insurance costs will eat it up.

Spousal insurance – Demands that if your spouse has insurance at her place of work that pays at least 50% of the costs, you cannot put them on as a dependent.

Along with the pension, the company is still insisting on mandatory overtime.

This is the reality of the company proposals as it now stands.

Of course, your Committee feels this is far below what we deserve. Tell any manager that tries to tell you this is a good deal he’s putting lipstick on a pig!

Message from GVP Bob Martinez

From the Southern Territory General Vice President Bob Martinez:

It saddens me to hear of yet another company attacking the retirement security of their workers. The Vought scheme to freeze the defined benefit pension plan of Local Lodge 735 members should be roundly rejected by the membership. Pensions are the norm in IAM aerospace contracts, and there’s no reason that successful companies like Vought should try to attack your pension.

The IAM has for decades fought to keep and strengthen the pension plans so our members can have a long, healthy and happy retirement, free from worry and want. As you can see in the volatility of today’s market, 401(k) plans have winners AND losers. Our Union works hard so that NO MEMBER, after years of hard work, will be left behind.

We have a RESPONSIBILITY to protect our pensions, as those who came before us fought and sometimes died so that we could have pensions.

You need only look at the recent Hawker Beechcraft strike to see that our Union has the power and the clout to fight back companies who make unreasonable takeaway demands. They won their fight, and you should let Vought management know that you are prepared to do whatever it takes to protect your future.

Local Lodge 735 is a strong and proud local. I urge each and every Union member to remember the past, and look to the future. On behalf of International President Tom Buffenbarger, rest assured that the International and the Southern Territory will support you all the way.

In Solidarity,





Bob Martinez
General Vice President
Southern Territory
IAMAW

VERY IMPORTANT FLYER!

For full and IMMEDIATE distribution!

New flyer


For full distribution. Click on the pic for full size

Monday, September 22, 2008

Daily Negotiation Update 9/22

Short update today - busy day for the negotiators. We received an economic offer from the company today, and we've put a counter proposal back across the table to them. We'll have more information posted early tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Daily Negotiation Update 9/19


For Full Distribution in the shop. Click picture for full size.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

International Support for Negotiations

(click photo for full size)

Last Monday, IAM Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge arrived to help our Committee with negotiations. General Vice President Bob Martinez also assigned Grand Lodge Representative Terry Smith and Communications Representative Bob Wood to assist Brother Eldridge.

Ron Eldridge is one of the most experienced aerospace negotiators in the nation, having negotiated aerospace contracts for over 35 years. Brother Smith and Brother Wood are also from aerospace, and are experienced with negotiations and communications.

The Negotiating Committee is very happy to have the assistance and experience from the Grand Lodge of the IAM, and feels it will certainly help bring an industry-leading contract to our Local Lodge.

Daily Negotiation Update 9/18


For Full Distribution in the shop. Click picture for full size.
IAM Local 735 Nashville makes I-mail News

Tennessee Members Balk at Vought Pension Proposal

In the midst of the most serious financial crisis in years, with banks and investment companies falling like dominoes, company negotiators for Vought Aircraft in Nashville, TN, stated their intention to propose replacing junior workers’ defined benefit pension plans with a 401(k) plan that is keyed to the very industry that is now coming apart at the seams.

“Billions of dollars invested in 401(k) accounts are dissolving at this very moment,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “This is the worst possible time to replace a secure defined benefit pension plan with a risky substitute that places significant risk on the workers themselves.”

Nearly 1,000 members of Local 735 in Nashville, TN, work at the Vought facility which performs aviation subcontracting for Airbus, Cessna, Lockheed and others. The current five -year contract at the plant expires on September 27, 2008.

"The highly skilled workers at Vought are worthy of an industry-leading contract," said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. "They deserve the IAM aerospace standard, which is a defined benefit pension plan and a 401(k)."

"District 711 leadership and the Local Lodge Negotiating Committee are courageously taking on the fight against this attack upon their retirement security," said Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge. "This local has made many sacrifices for this company in past years, and they are standing with their membership to secure a world-class contract, with absolutely no takeaways."

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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Daily Negotiation Update 9/17

For Full Distribution in the shop. Click picture for full size.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Negotiator, Jacob Benton

Daily Negotiation Update 9/16


For Full Distribution in the shop. Click picture for full size.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Negotiating Committee Update 9/3

This week starts the first week of full time negotiations. We will spend the rest of the month fighting to get you a fair contract. One that you deserve. We have several flyers that will be coming out soon over different issues.
Boeing is voting today on a contract that offers some modest economic gains but according to the negotiating committee does not address the issues of the members. Their committee is recommending that the contract be turned down and the membership vote to strike.
Our brothers and sisters at Hawker-Beechcraft have ended their strike after three weeks. The solidarity of the members provided the platform that enabled their committee to obtain a contract that the members and their families deserve.

We only have 24 days left. Be ready, stand strong, and speak with one loud voice!